Hedge & Shrub
Trimming in
Cambridge, Ontario

A hedge that's wider at the top than the bottom shades out its own lower branches, which is why so many cedar hedges go bare at the base. We trim with a slight taper so light reaches the whole hedge.

Cedars don't regrow from old brown wood, either, so they do best with light, regular trims rather than one hard cut every few years.

Most hedges are best trimmed once the spring growth is in, from late spring into early summer, with a lighter touch-up in late summer if needed. Heavy trimming late in the fall is best left alone, because new growth won't harden off before winter.

Spring-flowering shrubs such as lilac and forsythia should be pruned right after they bloom, or you'll cut off next year's flowers.

We plant cedar hedges for privacy and new shrubs to fill out beds, spaced so they grow into a solid screen without crowding each other. New cedars need steady watering through their first season. Under the Region of Waterloo's by-law, trees and shrubs can be watered on alternate days during permitted hours from May 31 to September 30.

Box tree moth is established across southern Ontario. Check boxwoods in spring and summer for webbing and chewed leaves, because the caterpillars can strip a shrub quickly.

Under the Region of Waterloo water by-law, trees, shrubs and gardens can be watered on alternate days during permitted hours from May 31 to September 30.

Branches put out for Region of Waterloo yard waste pickup must be under 92 cm long and 8 cm thick, tied with natural twine.

Sources: Canadian Food Inspection Agency: Box tree moth · Region of Waterloo: Water Conservation By-law and new sod permits · Region of Waterloo: Yard waste collection. Last updated November 2026.